Can't sign in to my Google account on my phone but can on desktop PC.

JustAnotherSaver

I've just tried setting up my new phone and it wont let me sign in to my Google account - says i got the password wrong.

So i very slowly 1 by 1 enter the characters and check that they're correct - it fails again, apparently wrong password.

I go to sign in on my desktop and check the password - it's exactly 100% the one that i just tried entering on the phone. This time on the desktop PC it works - let's me in.

I try again on the phone - apparently wrong password.

What's the deal?

DCFC79

Are you sure its been entered correctly on your phone ?

Is there not an option to see the password as you enter it ?

Neil49

Make sure that there isn't a blank space after the last character. 

Is there an option on the phone login to say that you have forgotten the password? If so then you could try using it and enter the same password again. 

JustAnotherSaver

DCFC79 said:

Are you sure its been entered correctly on your phone ?

Is there not an option to see the password as you enter it ?

Yes, i said i'm 100% sure that it was entered correctly. If it helps then i'm whatever percentage it needs to be sure that it was entered correctly. There is no way at all the password didn't match.

There is that option yes.

Neil49 said:

Make sure that there isn't a blank space after the last character. 

Is there an option on the phone login to say that you have forgotten the password? If so then you could try using it and enter the same password again. 

There was no spaces. Not before, not after & not during.

In the end i had to reset my password which i didn't really want to do. I then repeated the process - entering it character by character and then double checking after every character that i'd entered the correct character - this time it worked.

Yet it presented a new problem - on my desktop PC i use Windows Live Mail which will obviously then need updating. I sign in to the correct account, go to change the password, hit paste ... yet it doesn't pull my emails any more. The password is incorrect. How is it incorrect when i copied and pasted?

Robisere

Maybe a daft question, but: iPhone or Android?

My phone (Sony Xperia, android) has a feature called Your Phone Companion. It connects to my phone and stays connected when in range of the router's WiFi and desktop PC. When I needed to set up my Google account on the phone, I did it via the PC. Anytime I need to add apps, I can choose to use the PC. For example, in setting up Amazon Kindle on my tablet and phone, I used the PC. It downloads to the android devices via the router of course. Don't know about iPhone: my wallet has never breathed Apple air!

JustAnotherSaver

It's an Android. Specifically a Galaxy S10.

I'm actually now signed in to my Google account on the Android. I had to reset my password. While it's 'sorted' I just think it's pretty poor & certainly annoying that I had to reset the password just to sign in. If it told me that I had to do that it'd be annoying but ok at least I'd know that's what was required. It was only my lack of patience that made me do that and try it out. I just can't fathom why a password reset was the problem fixer. Surely if I've entered the correct password it should let me in??

As for Windows Live Mail - i've just sorted that. For my future self referring back and anyone else who may encounter it - it isn't the password you need to put in, it's an 'app specific password' you need to get from within your Google account, which is a load of nonsense letters that lets you in

Robisere

Ah - I see your problem, although I have never encountered it myself. In my case, having the phone connected to the PC is very useful: I was able to install my Google account easily from the PC. A bit remiss of Google not to make that clear before you began the process.

DoaM

JustAnotherSaver said:

As for Windows Live Mail - i've just sorted that. For my future self referring back and anyone else who may encounter it - it isn't the password you need to put in, it's an 'app specific password' you need to get from within your Google account, which is a load of nonsense letters that lets you in

I was going to post exactly that but you found the answer yourself. 👍